Heuchera plant named &#39;Black Taffeta&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Heuchera  plant substantially as shown and described, characterized by large, shiny, red brown to almost black leaves, very ruffled leaves showing purple backs, a medium large plant size, light pink flowers in spring on short flower stalks, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Heuchera hybrid

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Black Taffeta’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera and given the cultivar name of ‘Black Taffeta’. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Black Taffeta’ originated from a planned cross between Heuchera K580-8, a proprietary unreleased plant, as the seed parent, and Heuchera 148-1 as the pollen parent. Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera K580-8, a proprietary unreleased plant, the new cultivar has larger leaves that are black rather than blue green. Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera 148-1, the new cultivar has leaves that are larger, black rather than amber colored, and more ruffled, and with pink buds to white flowers rather than insignificant brown.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Black Beauty’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,288), the new cultivar has a larger habit, larger leaves that are more ruffled.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Chocolate Ruffles’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,965), the new cultivar has larger, darker, glossier, more ruffled leaves.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Midnight Ruffles’ (U.S. application Ser. No. ______ ), the new cultivar has leaves that are glossier, browner, and orbicular rather than ovate, and has flowers that are showy and light pink rather than small and red brown.

This new Heuchera is distinguished by:

1. large, shiny, red brown to almost black leaves,

2. very ruffled leaves showing purple backs,

3. a medium large plant size,

4. light pink flowers in spring on short flower stalks, and

5. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a 9 month-old Heuchera ‘Black Taffeta’ growing in full sun in the garden in summer in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a one year-old Heuchera ‘Black Taffeta’ growing in full sun in the February in the trial bed in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 3 shows a close up of the flower in May on the new cultivar.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivar based on observations of one year-old specimens grown in the ground in the trial bed in shade in May in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to an average of 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.         -   Size.—30 cm tall from top of the foliage to the ground and             37 cm wide.         -   Habit.—mound.         -   Vigor.—excellent.         -   Roots.—fibrous, freely branching, fine, and white in color;             roots develop easily from stem cuttings. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—simple.         -   Arrangement.—basal.         -   Shape.—orbicular.         -   Lobing/Division.—6 main lobes, with 3 to 5 shallow secondary             lobes, secondary lobes also lobed.         -   Venation.—palmate.         -   Margins.—crenate, undulate and ruffled.         -   Apex.—mucronulate.         -   Base.—cordate, lobes overlapping at the base.         -   Blade size.—grows to 14 cm long and 14 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—both sides glandular.         -   Petiole description.—grows to 23 cm long and 3 mm wide,             glandular, Greyed Purple 187B.         -   Leaf color.—variable depending on the time of the year, the             temperature, and the exposure; late winter, spring topside             between Black 202A and Greyed Purple N187A with veins N187A,             bottom side Purple N79A; fall to early winter topside Brown             N200A to Grey Brown N199A, bottom side Purple N79A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Size.—grows to 4 cm wide and 30 cm long.         -   Type.—thyrse.         -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—100 to 120 per thyrse.         -   Number of thyrse.—about 8 in spring bloom.         -   Peduncle.—grows to 24 cm tall, 5 mm wide at base, Greyed             Purple 187A, glandular hairs, with 4 to 5 small petiolate             leaves (ovate, blades grow to 2 cm long and 2.3 cm wide, 5             main lobes, margin biserrate, topside Greyed Purple 183A,             bottom side Red Purple 59A; petioles to 3.5 cm long,             glandular, bottom side Red Purple 59A).         -   Pedicel.—1 to 4 mm long, with glandular hairs, Greyed Purple             187B.         -   Bloom period.—May in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—2 mm wide and 4 mm long.         -   Description.—glandular puberulent, ovoid.         -   Color.—top half White N155C, bottom half Greyed Red 181D. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—perfect.         -   Shape.—campanulate.         -   Size.—4 mm long and 4 mm wide.         -   Petal description.—5 in number, 3 mm long and less thanl mm             wide, reflexed, spatulate with a clawed base, tip acute,             margin entire, glabrous on top and bottom, outside White             NN155C, inside White NN155B.         -   Calyx description.—4 mm long and 2 mm wide, with 5 lobes,             divided ½ way to the base, glandular hairs on outside,             glabrous inside, tip acute, margin entire, outside top White             N 155C.         -   Stamen description.—5 in number, each 2.5 mm long, White             NN155C, anthers Yellow Orange 21C, no pollen, male sterile.         -   Pistil description.—one central two beaked pistil, 3 mm             long, Red Purple 70D overall, ovary 2 mm long.         -   Fragrance.—none.         -   Lastingness.—each thyrse blooms for about 2 weeks on the             plant. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—two-beaked ovoid capsule.         -   Fertility .—low.         -   Color.—Greyed Brown 199C. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—linear.         -   Size.—2 mm long.         -   Color.—Black 202A. -   Disease and pest tolerance: Pest and disease resistance are typical     for this type of Heuchera. No known resistances. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and described. 